From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nutraceutical, a term combining the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical,” was originally defined by
Dr. Stephen L. DeFelice to describe a nutritional product that
claims to provide medicinal benefits in addition to their regular
nutritional value.[1]
Nutraceuticals can refer to foods, dietary
supplements, medical foods, and functional foods
that may provide prevention and treatment of illness or disease[2].
Nutraceutical foods are not subject to the same testing and
regulations as pharmaceutical
drugs.[1]

Food as
medicine

Considered a father of Western medicine, Hippocrates advocated the healing effects
of food.

The Egyptians, Chinese, and Sumerians are just a few
civilizations that have provided evidence suggesting that foods can
be effectively used as medicine to treat and prevent disease.
Documents hint that the medicinal benefits of food have been
explored for thousands of years [3].
Hippocrates,
considered by some to be the father of Western medicine, said that
people should “Let food be thy medicine.”

The modern nutraceutical market began to develop in Japan during the 1980s. In contrast to the natural herbs and spices used
as folk medicine
for centuries throughout Asia, the
nutraceutical industry has grown alongside the expansion and
exploration of modern technology.[4]

New research conducted among food scientists show that there is
more to food
science than what was understood just a couple decades ago.[4]
Until just recently, analysis of food was limited to the flavor of food (sensory taste and texture) and its nutritional value (composition
of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, vitamins and minerals). However, there
is growing evidence that other components of food may play an
integral role in the link between food and health.

Nutraceutical products were considered alternative medicine for many
years. Nutraceuticals have become a more mainstream supplement to
the diet, now that research has begun to show evidence that these
chemicals found in food are often effective when processed
effectively and marketed correctly.

Classification of
nutraceuticals

Nutraceuticals is a broad umbrella term used to describe any
product derived from food sources that provides extra health
benefits in addition to the basic nutritional value found in foods.
Products typically claim to prevent chronic diseases,
improve health, delay the aging process, and increase life
expectancy.[5]

Health Canada, a website operated by the Canadian government, defines nutraceuticals
as “a product isolated or purified from food that is generally sold
in medicinal forms not usually associated with food. A
nutraceutical has been demonstrated to have a physiological benefit
or provide protection against chronic disease.”
[6]

There is minimal regulation over which products are allowed to
display the nutraceutical term on their labels. Because of this,
the term is often used to market products with varying uses and
effectiveness. The definition of nutraceuticals and related
products often depend on the source. Members of the medical
community desire that the nutraceutical term be more clearly
established in order to distinguish between the wide varieties of
products out there.[7]
There are multiple different types of products that fall under the
category of nutraceuticals.

Advertisements

Dietary
supplements

Dietary supplements, such as the vitamin B
supplement show above, are typically sold in pill form.

A dietary supplement is a product that
contains nutrients derived from food products that are concentrated
in liquid or capsule form. The Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 defined
generally what constitutes a dietary supplement. “A dietary
supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a "dietary
ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. The "dietary
ingredients" in these products may include: vitamins, minerals,
herbs or
other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes,
organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites. Dietary
supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found
in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, or
powders.” [8]

Dietary supplements do not have to be approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) before marketing. Although
supplements claim to provide health benefits, products usually
include a label that says: “These statements have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”

Functional
foods

Functional foods are designed to allow
consumers to eat enriched foods close to their natural state,
rather than by taking dietary supplements manufactured in liquid or
capsule form. Functional foods have been either enriched or
fortified, a process called nutrification. This practice restores the
nutrient content in a food back to similar levels from before the
food was processed. Sometimes, additional complementary nutrients
are added, such as vitamin
D to milk.

Health Canada defines functional foods as “ordinary food that
has components or ingredients added to give it a specific medical
or physiological benefit, other than a purely
nutritional effect.” [6]
In Japan, all functional foods
must meet three established requirements: foods should be (1)
present in their naturally-occurring form, rather than a capsule,
tablet, or powder; (2) consumed in the diet as often as daily; and
(3) should regulate a biological process in hopes of preventing or
controlling disease.[9]

Medical
foods

A photo of medical food on an IV pole.

Medical foods aren’t available as an over-the-counter product to
consumers.[10]
The FDA considers medical foods to be “formulated to be consumed or
administered enterally under the supervision of a physician, and which is
intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or
condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, on the
basis of recognized scientific principles, are established by
medical evaluation.” [9]
Medical foods can be ingested through the mouth or through tube
feeding. These foods are often designed to meet certain
nutritional requirements for people diagnosed with specific
illnesses. Medical foods are closely monitored by medical
supervision.

Farmaceuticals

According to a report written for the United States Congress entitled
"Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws", “(Farmaceuticals)
is a melding of the words farm and pharmaceuticals. It refers to
medically valuable compounds produced from modified agricultural
crops or animals (usually through biotechnology). Proponents believe that
using crops and possibly even animals as pharmaceutical factories
could be much more cost effective than conventional methods (i.e.,
in enclosed manufacturing facilities) and also provide agricultural
producers with higher earnings…

“At issue in the United States has been whether the
current system for regulating biotechnology is adequate for
ensuring the safety (to humans, animals and crops, and the
environment) of newly emerging applications, such as
farmaceuticals… The term farmaceuticals is more frequently
associated, in agricultural circles, with medical applications of
genetically engineered crops or animals.” [11]

Market and
demand

Nearly two-thirds of the American population takes at least one
type of nutraceutical health product. The US health and wellness industry is
approximated to be a $91 billion dollar market,[13]
significantly less than a $250 billion estimate given by Stephen L.
DeFelice.[10]
The distinction between which products count as nutraceuticals
makes it difficult to accurately quantify the size of the market.
Even without specific financial figures, business reports
continually suggest that the market is consistently growing.

One possible explanation for the growth of nutraceuticals in the
United States is the aging baby-boomer population.
As the average age of the citizens continues to rise, the
population increases its focus on health and wellness. By halfway
through the 21st century, there could be almost 142 million
Americans over the age of 50, based on a projected population of
nearly 400 million citizens.[3]

Although the price of some nutraceuticals may drop as generic
products make their way into the market, people’s dependence on
these products and their increasing availability suggests that the
growth of the market shall remain stable.

Effectiveness and safety

Regulation

Unlike pharmaceutical
drugs, nutraceutical products are widely available and
minimally monitored. Companies are not obligated to back claims
about the function and effectiveness of their product, but many
companies attempt to provide scientific backing of their products
to increase credibility.

International sources

In the global market, there are significant product quality
issues[14]
Nutraceuticals from the international market may claim to use organic or exotic ingredients, yet the lack of regulation
may compromise the safety and effectiveness of products. Companies
looking to create a wide profit margin may create unregulated
products overseas with low-quality or ineffective ingredients.

Bioavailability

Bioavailability, which can be thought
of as the the "absorption rate" of a supplement product, is one of
the main challenges in finding effective nutraceutical products.
The bioavailability of nutrients is higher in food eaten in its
natural state. Even among unprocessed foods, not all foods are
broken down and digested as effectively. Nutraceuticals with poor
absorption rates results in nutrients being disposed from the body
without providing any nutritional or medicinal benefit.

Impact
of placebo effect

Similar to pharmaceuticals, part of the effectiveness of
nutraceuticals may be attributed to the placebo effect.
Consumers using nutraceuticals may inaccurately credit their use of
nutraceuticals for healing illness, when the body is often able to
recover on its own.